


Being Perfect, Being Them

by deedeeinfj



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-07-24
Packaged: 2018-04-11 00:16:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4413527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deedeeinfj/pseuds/deedeeinfj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Nothing's been weird so far, has it? It's just been... us." Jim and Pam's first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Perfect, Being Them

**Author's Note:**

> A ficlet I wrote in 2008 and forgot about until I was browsing my LiveJournal this morning. =)

"Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
They looked at each other, looked in opposite directions, looked at each other again, and laughed.  
  
"Oh, my God, this is awful. This is  _so_  not us," she said.  
  
"Right, because we are not awful."  
  
"We are awesome."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
And that's how their first date began: the awkward silence, the swift return to their usual selves, the grabbing of her purse, the cheery goodbye waves to the camera crew, and the walk to his car. Now they were here, full of Italian food, parked outside her apartment.  
  
"You know what the best part about tonight was?" he said. He reached for her hand, and even that small privilege felt hugely significant. "It didn't even feel like a date. I mean... I don't mean it wasn't special, I meant--"  
  
"I know what you meant. It was great." She looked to the side, then laughed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you ever... Okay, this is so stupid. Do you ever catch yourself, like, away from the office and looking off to give the camera a reaction shot? As if it's going to be there? I do that all the time."  
  
"They have doctors for that. In fact--" He took out his wallet and flipped through it. "I have the name of one in here somewhere, because I do it, too."  
  
"Do you want to come in?"  
  
He had definitely not expected that. He felt suddenly conscious of his blood pounding in his ears. He lowered his wallet and looked at her. "You know I do. Do you want me to come in?"  
  
She smiled in that shy way of hers. He had never seen a woman with a prettier smile than hers, and he didn't believe he was biased in thinking so. "Yeah. I just don't want things to be weird," she said.  
  
"Nothing's been weird so far, has it? It's just been... us."  
  
"It's been perfect."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Her apartment was pretty much as he'd imagined it would be, very warm and casual, slightly messy. She had lots of photographs.  
  
"There's one thing we need to get out of the way," he said after she closed the door behind them. "I'm going to need to see your high school yearbook."  
  
Her mouth fell open in disbelief and laughter. "No! There is no way I'm showing you that!"  
  
"It's only fair. C'mon. Bring it out, Beesly."  
  
They kicked off their shoes and sat together on her sofa. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she settled against him, and he checked off an item on his mental list, Things I Desperately Want to Do. She pointed out her school picture, which was bad, as these things always must be. But it was adorably bad, from the glasses to the bored, lopsided smile.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah." She laughed. "Are we even now?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
She closed the book and set it aside, then looked up at him. "So... I didn't want to bring this up, but... Karen? I mean, are you two...?"  
  
"It's over. I guess there'll be one more  _Talk_  to tie up loose ends, but no, that's over."  
  
"What about the job at corporate?"  
  
"It lacks a big incentive that the Scranton branch offers." He shifted more towards her and kissed her, amazed at how comfortable it was to hold her. She slid his jacket from his shoulders and rested one hand on the back of his neck, her fingers threading into his hair.  
  
"I should have told you that night," she said softly, "that I'm in love with you, too. I have been for a long time."  
  
They didn't sleep together that night. Well, they  _slept_  together. Her bed was small, and they fell asleep pressed against each other, looking at each other, whispering and giggling and kissing until late. Being them, being perfect. And in the morning, they woke up and smiled at each other.  
  
"Jim."  
  
"Pam."


End file.
